If you're looking for a film that doesn't require an overly large amount of thought, great action, and goes by fast, then 'Waist Deep' is the film for you. It is a not the typical type of film I enjoy (I like films that are psychologically powerful and wildly unpredictable such as 'Saw', 'Se7en', 'Memento', or 'Fight Club'), but I watched it twice and thought 'Waist Deep' is definitely among the more underrated films to be released recently. Another problem this film had is the fact that it came out in 2006, which thus far has been a year of extraordinary action and adventure films (see 'Pirates 2', 'Mi:III', 'Superman Returns, 'Running Scared', '16 Blocks', and 'Inside Man'). It is easy to see how 'Waist Deep' can be forgotten amongst these blockbusters. Despite this, the film is a great thrill ride that never slows down even though you'll find the film predictable.
The plot is straightforward enough, following a man nicknamed O2 (Tyrese Gibson; 'Four Brothers'), a man who is trying to settle down after being recently released from prison. He is alone in life besides having his son, Junior, who means the world to him. After his cousin Lucky (Larenz Tate; 'Crash') neglects to pick Junior up from school, O2 leaves his new security guard job early to pick him up. After we see the bond that this father and his son have, O2 is carjacked by gangsters...with his son still in the car, thus setting O2 up for the ride of his life. With the reluctant help of a young woman named Coco (Meagan Good; 'Brick'), O2 vows to take his son back from the vicious gangsters, who are led by the ruthless crime lord Meat (Jayceon 'The Game' Taylor; 'The Documentary' and 'The Doctor's Advocate' rap artist).
First off, what stands out is the action. Very original scenes in the film that I really enjoyed. They are intense and smart creations from Vondie Curtis Hall, who did a nice job directing this film. You really can't say enough about Tyrese Gibson, who nails the part of O2 very well. I really couldn't imagine anyone else in the role but Gibson. His biggest strength is his ability to convey emotion without speaking. Normally it is an insult to tell an actor that their best scenes were when he wasn't talking, but Gibson's nonverbal acting is simply stellar. You can relate to O2 very easily and feel his pain. He puts so much into O2, and it is easy to see in every scene, especially when he is with his son (the young actor who plays his son has the biggest eyes in the world, and he is so lovable as well). Meagan Good surprised me with her ability in 'Brick', and I was looking forward to seeing her again...sadly, she's not as good as she was in that film. She is a great young actress, but she doesn't get the job done here. Coco as a character is not very likable, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that she is supposed to be likable. She has her moments, especially at the end of the film, but overall, it's just a mediocre at best performance. One intriguing part about this film is to watch one of the better rappers of today, Jayceon 'The Game' Taylor, venture into film for the first time. I must say, Taylor picked a good role to start with. While Meat does not appear that often, you'll remember every second of him because Taylor is great as the villain of the film. Like Gibson, Taylor is great at conveying emotion to the audience without speaking. When you see him, you will know he means business. I really enjoyed watching The Game in this film, and I hope he does another role like this. Larenz Tate is the final main character of the film, but if you want to see what his character is like, just watch 'Crash', because it's basically the same performance. Good, but I liked it the first time I saw it.
Vondie Curtis Hall, the director, seemed to put a lot of emotion into this film, but forgot to keep at least SOME mystery in the film. Where the story gets annoyingly predictable, Hall throws in a great action sequence to deter you from that unfortunate fact. Despite the fact that this film is rated R, it is a very light R, due only to intense action and occasionally use of the 'f' and 'n' words. I say it's okay for ages 13 and up, maybe 12. Tyrese Gibson stands out in a film that is constantly degraded for being predictable. But guess what? This isn't 'The Usual Suspects'. This isn't 'The Prestige'. This isn't 'Se7en'. It's 'Waist Deep', a great action thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the 90 minutes that it runs. Take it for what it is, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
7/10 --spy
